Semi vs. SUV Crash in Zephyrhills Seriously Injures Four

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a semi-tractor trailering a horse trailer with four horses experienced a blow out just south of State Road 52 shortly after 7 p.m. The driver of the semi lost control of the vehicle, which then jackknifed into a 2000 Toyota SUV.

Troopers believe that the impact caused the SUV to flip multiple times.

A total of four people, including the 36-year-old San Antonio truck driver and his 6-year-old son as well as a 56-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy of Largo from the SUV, were seriously injured and transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa.

The four horses being transported did not suffer any harm in the accident.

A semi or tractor-trailer is a large truck whose vehicle weight is usually more than 10,000 pounds. Due to their extreme size, collisions involving large trucks are much more likely to result in very serious injuries and death than accidents only involving passenger vehicles. It is estimated that 10 percent of people injured in large trucking accidents die from their injuries.

Truck accidents are also different than those involving smaller non-commercial vehicles because semis are usually hauling dangerous or extremely heavy cargo, such as machinery, construction materials, flammable or explosive products or as this case shows, even large animals. In a high-impact collision, such cargo can cause an extraordinary amount of damage. Even if a semi-trailer is empty, it can still be quite dangerous as high winds can make it difficult for the trailer to be controlled.

Florida’s roadways are heavily travelled by large trucks, and accidents involving tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers are a frequent occurrence here. However, their high rate of recurrence does not minimize their horrific impact. Individuals who have suffered paralysis, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal bleeding, head and neck injuries, permanent disfigurement, and loss of limbs or permanent disability after being involved in a trucking accident are welcome to call a Pasco County Truck Accident Attorney at Whittel & Melton at 727-847-2299 for a no-cost evaluation to address legal concerns. We also help family members who have lost loved ones in devastating truck accidents to contact us to learn more about pursuing justice.

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